Dr. Behkam’s research focuses on micro/Nanoscale systems engineering with special interest in biotic (living)/abiotic (synthetic) interfaces. Her current research interests include: bio-hybrid microrobotics, living machines, bacteria-based theranostics, biological microfluidics, and physical chemistry of cell-surface interaction.

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Biomedical Engineering Society
• Biophysical Society

• Please click here for a full list of publications.

2015 – present, Virginia Tech, Associate Professor

2008 – 2015, Virginia Tech, Assistant Professor

2008, Carnegie Mellon University, Post-doctoral Researcher

2003 – 2008, Carnegie Mellon University, NanoRobotics Laboratory, Graduate Research Assistant

2001-2003, Carnegie Mellon University, NanoScale Energy Transport Lab, Graduate Research Assistant

• Virginia Tech, Office of the Vice President of Research Scholar of the Week, December, 2015
• National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 2015
• Selection to the National Academies Keck Frontiers Initiative Conference, 2014
• Best Paper Award Finalist, ASME 3rd Global Congress on Nanoengineering for Medicine and Biology, 2014
• Aline Inc. Best Paper Award, ASME 2nd Global Congress on Nanoengineering for Medicine and Biology, 2013
• Outstanding New Assistant Professor Award, College of Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2012
• Peeble Award for Best Paper, Adhesion Society Meeting, 2012
• Dowd-ICES Doctoral Fellowship, Carnegie Mellon University, 2004-2005

• • Associate Editor, Journal of Micro-Bio Robotics
  • Member of Program Committee, International Conference on Manipulation, Automation & Robotics at Small Scales, Montreal, Canada, July 17-21, 2017
  • Member of Program Committee, International Conference on Manipulation, Automation & Robotics at Small Scales, Paris, France, July 18-22, 2016
  • Track Organizer, Cellular and Molecular Machines, ASME 3rd Global Congress on Nanoengineering for Medicine and Biology, San Francisco, CA, Feb. 2-5, 2014
  • Co-chair, Track on Cellular and Molecular Machines, ASME Global Congress on Nanoengineering for Medicine and Biology, San Francisco, CA Feb. 2-5, 2014
  • Session Organizer and Chair for Cell Adhesion and Migration, at the AICHE annual meeting, San Francisco, CA, Nov. 3-8, 2013
  • Session Chair for Smart MAterials and Tissue Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Society meeting, Seattle, WA, Sept. 25-28, 2013
  • Session Chair for Microfluidic Devices for Cellular Investigations and Therapeutics in Medicine and Biology, ASME 2nd Global Congress on Nanoengineering for Medicine and Biology,
    Boston, MA, Feb. 4-6, 2013.
  • Session Chair for Cell Motility session at the 2012 BES annual meeting, Atlanta, GA, Oct. 24-27, 2012
  • Member of the Conference Editorial Board, Editor for the Life Sciences and Healthcare track at the 8th IEEE Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE), Seoul, South Korea, July, 2012
  • Theme Chair, Biological Machines and Engineered Bio-Hybrid Systems, ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, June 20-23, 2012
  • Co-Organizer for Micro and Nano Systems in Medicine and Biology track at the International Mechanical Engineering Conference and Exposition (IMECE2009)
  • Chair, Microsystems and Genetic Regulation in Biological Machines session, ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, June 20-23, 2012
  • Co-Chair for the Surgery and Diagnosis session at the 2010 IEEE BioROB Conference, Tokyo, Japan
  • Panel Reviewer for the National Science Foundation, Reviewer for the Army Research Office, Reviewer for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Reviewer for the Israel Science Foundation
  • Invited member of Nature advisory panel for assessment and developments of Nature